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South Vietnam
The Kingdom of South Vietnam officially called the 'Kingdom of Vietnam '''or simply '''South Vietnam '''is a constitutional monarchy in Southeast Asia. Situated on the southeastern coast, South Vietnam is bordered by Socialist Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) to the north, to the northwest, Khmer Republic of Cambodia to the southwest, Thailand across the Gulf of Thailand to the southwest, and the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia across the South China Sea to the east and southeast. The capital and largest city is Saigon. As a member of SEATO since 1957 and a member of the UN since 1960, South Vietnam has played an important advisory role in Western affairs throughout Southeast Asia. The Kingdom of Vietnam is ruled by King Nicolas since 2018 after the abdication of his father Henry II after 36 years due to health problems. Etymology Vietnam was unified and renamed 'Vietnam' officially after, Nguyen Phuc An, the originator of the first Nguyen dynasty became Emperor Gia Long in 1802. In the current political climate after the Vietnamese Civil War, the official title of South Vietnam is the 'Kingdom of Vietnam', with North Vietnam officially called the 'Socialist Republic of Vietnam'. In official/international and otherwise legally-binding documents, South Vietnam is referred to as the 'Kingdom of Vietnam'. In everybody speech and writing, the 'Kingdom of South Vietnam' or 'South Vietnam' is acceptable to differentiate between north and south. Terrain/Climate TBF… History Vietnam has been under dynastic rule since the Ngo dynasty was established in 939. When the French colonised the territory in 1858 as a protectorate for the Tonkin, Annam, and Cochinchina regions of the country, along with Laos and Cambodia as Indochina the emperor was relegated to a nominal advisory role to the Governor-General of Indochina. After World War II, fearing a civil uprising in Asia after the War, France broke up Indochina, granting Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia independence. Vietnam was granted independence in 1947. As the Vietnamese celebrate their independence for the first time in almost a century, Nationalist forces under the control of anti-royalist revolutionary Ho Chi Minh embolden by aid from communist powers China and the Soviet Union, invaded the south central town of Quang Tri in Nov 1949. Vietnamese Civil War (1949-55) Main article: Vietnamese Civil War (1949-55) The emperor at the time, Bao Dai, pushed back the Nationalist forces out of Quang Tri in Jan 1950, establishing the borderline between the pro-West, royalist South and the communist, anti-royalist North. The western powers commended Bao Dai for pushing back the Nationalist forces and in return sent supplies and monetary aid to the South Vietnamese starting in 1951. This allowed the Royalist forces to overrun the Nationalists into retreating out of the High Central region by Christmas 1952. However, communist reinforcements helped the Nationalists in reestablishing control from 1953-54. In Valentine's Day 1955, under the direction of General Nguyen Huu Khang, the Vietnamese Royalists along with French and U.S. forces strategically bombed the Nationalist capital of Hanoi non-stop for two weeks, while sending in 20,000 ground troops to blockade Ho Chi Minh's escape from his residence. The operation, Operation Downfall, as called by the Americans resulted in 16,000 direct civilian deaths and Hanoi bombed into submission. On May 5, 1955, Ho Chi Minh and Bao Dai signed the Quang Tri Peace Accords, ending the war, but permanently splitting the area into two states, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Kingdom of Vietnam. Bao Dai solution While Bao Dai won the war, he was unpopular and largely blamed for the break up of Vietnam. In 1957, a South Vietnamese war tribunal stripped Bao Dai of his imperial title and powers, in essence forcing him to abdicate. With South Vietnam without a monarch, the Imperial Council looked for a suitable replacement and found one in General Khang. As the war hero that saved the nation, General Khang was also a distant relative of Bao Dai, thus allowing the Nguyen dynasty to continue. Not wanting to be reminded of the colonial era, the Imperial Council declared the Empire of Vietnam as the Kingdom of Vietnam with the King of Vietnam as head of state, fashioned mostly after the British monarchy. The position Prime Minister of South Vietnam was established as the head of government. Reunification attempts Since the end of the Vietnamese Civil War in 1955, there have been many attempts by the South Vietnam king to unify with the North Vietnamese. The first attempt was in 1961, when King Henry I asked for a visa into Hanoi to attend a childhood friend's wedding, he was denied by the Ho Chi Minh. Hopes of reunification improved after the communist leader's death in 1969, however despite gradual moves towards reunifying since 1970, the closest the North and South Vietnamese governments have come is the opening of the Quang Tri border station in 1994. The border station is a cooperative entry point that allows semi-free movement between the two countries. Government/Politics See also: Politics of South Vietnam; Main article: Monarchy of South Vietnam Monarchy The monarchy of South Vietnam is the constitutional monarchy of the Kingdom of Vietnam. The current monarch and head of state is King Nicolas, the youngest monarch in 21st century Nguyen dynasty history and currently the youngest head of state as of 2019. Second Nguyen dynasty (1957-present) The Nguyen dynasty has ruled Vietnam since 1802, and nominally from 1858 to 1947, under the protectorate status of France. The current Nguyen dynasty line is not same as the Nguyen dynasty originating from Gia Long, but a satellite branch of the original as King Henry I (General Khang) was a distant cousin of Bao Dai. Formal Nguyen-Bourbon alliance In 1962, then Crown Prince Nguyen Huu Hai married a French-Vietnamese woman, Julienne, with direct familial ties to the French House of Bourbon. in 1980, Prince Nguyen Huu Hanh married Julienne's youngest sister, Thu, who was born in Vietnam further cementing the connection between the House of Nguyen and the House of Bourbon which began in 1787 as a trade agreement. Royal family media coverage The royal family's public relations are handled by the Royal Press Office. The Royal Speaker is the king's mouthpiece in Parliament. The royal family has been Catholic since 1954, when Henry I converted in a baptismal ceremony at Dalat Cathedral. Since, Dalat Cathedral has been the main place of worship for the royal family. Because of media coverage of royal events at Dalat Cathedral, it has been dubbed "the Westminister Abbey of Vietnam". Style of the King To date, there have been four kings of Vietnam since reestablishment in 1957. King's Parliamentary Powers The King of Vietnam has three important roles in government, first, the king may dissolve Parliament (the lower house) and/or dismiss the Prime Minister in between election years if the actions of the Prime Minister ("the Government") are "deemed overtly detrimental" to the well being of the citizens. Second, the king may through the House of Lords, and the Royal Speaker add amendments to existing bills but not propose new laws. The king also must sign bills into law unless the Prime Minister asks for a Royal Notary. Third, the king in times of war is the commander-in-chief of the Royal Vietnamese Military. Succession Succession rules are written into the 1960 constitution under ''Article VII: Public Office & Succession, Section III Royal Succession, Sub-articles I-V Prime Minister The Prime Minister of South Vietnam is the head of the government of South Vietnam first established in 1957. Serving at the "pleasure of the King" the Prime Minister is in charge of the executive and legislative functions in the House of Commons. The Prime Minister and the government's duties are executed by the Cabinet Ministry. The Prime Minister conducts business at the Palace of Parliament in Saigon, while Cabinet Ministers oversee their departments from their various offices, collectively known as the Cabinet Complex in Saigon. The Prime Minister and other Members of Parliament (MPs) of the House of Commons are elected by direct popular vote every five years unless the king or Parliament, itself, dissolves early. The current Prime Minister is Le Xuan Tuyen, MP from Nha Trang elected in the 2015 regular Parliamentary elections. Parliament The Parliament of South Vietnam (PSV) consists of two Houses, the Vietnamese House of Commons (the lower and more powerful house) and the Vietnamese House of Lords (a largely advisory body to the government and the king) but it is also able to introduce bills, except budgetary into the Commons. The House of Commons consists of 435 seats while the House of Lords consists of 65 seats made up the Vietnamese nobility. Both Houses meet in the Palace of Parliament in Saigon. Elections TBF… Law and Order See also: Full text of 1960 Constitution Constitution TBF… Supreme Court of Vietnam TBF… Economy South Vietnam's economy is open-market, capitalist, and pro-Western business. The main financial hubs of the country are Saigon and Nha Trang, with the latter also being a major supply port. Port cities are important to the continuing growth of South Vietnam. The aforementioned city of Nha Trang along with Da Nang, and Can Tho take in two-thirds of the country's shipping and distribution traffic. South Vietnam's leading industries are: finance, tourism, agricultural food production, information technology, shipping and distribution, and light manufacturing. The World Monetary Fund ranks South Vietnam as the fourth largest in Asia behind China, Japan, and India as of 2015, overtaking South Korea. With a projected 8% GDP growth in the next decade. International Trade Internationally, South Vietnam is part of the regional ASEAN trading block as a founding member, and the Asian Econ Group, a multilateral trading group that consists of China, Japan, South Korea, India, and South Vietnam as key member. Often acting as a moderator between China and India. And the Euro-East Asia Trade Pact since 1999 following France's adoption of the euro, a cooperative between the EU member states particularly France, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein and South Vietnam. In international business, China, Japan, South Vietnam, and South Korea are collectively called the 'Four Heavenly Economies' in reference to the Four Heavenly Kings of Buddhist tradition due to their influence in Asian and international trade, size, and production. Commerce/Trade While an open-market economy, state-owned businesses are common in South Vietnam, especially in the country's leading industries. In the private sector, Viet Corporation has a near monopoly on regional manufacturing, making 'Made in South Vietnam' a byword for quality in Asian markets. The top private employers in South Vietnam are: Viet Corporation, CCHealth, VietTV, Nguyen Incorporated, and Hong Fashion House. Central Bank The Royal Bank of South Vietnam (RBSV) is South Vietnam's central bank. Despite the name, the monarchy does not have control of the bank, the royal family's finances are handled through the the Royal Treasury Office. The RBSV is in charge of the country's monetary assets (issuing, printing, and collecting currency), is responsible for lending to South Vietnamese banks, setting interest rates, and investigating low levels of bank fraud through the Royal Bank of South Vietnam Fraud Department (capital cases are handed over to the Ministry of Justice). Adoption of the Swiss franc South Vietnam has used the franc as its currency since 1885. When France adopted the euro as its currency, there was speculation that South Vietnam may adopt it as well, however European Union members rejected the notion in that South Vietnam is "…wholly in Asia, we would be willing to assist if even an inch of South Vietnam touched the European continent however because it does not, we can not." Not wanting to switch to the other major Asian currencies (Japan's yen, China's yuan, or the Korean won), the Royal Bank of South Vietnam in partnership with the Swiss Confederation and the Swiss National Bank (SNB), adopted the Swiss franc in 1999. Swiss franc banknotes and coins in South Vietnam are issued with Vietnamese motifs by the RBSV and the Royal Vietnamese Mint (coins) with prior SNB approval. Vietnamese franc The 'Vietnamese franc' is currently valued at 0.95 VNF to 1.00 USD (US Dollar). The Vietnamese franc is denoted by the ƒ symbol and is traded as VNF. Vietnamese franc is also legal tender in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Taxation South Vietnamese citizens pay a flat tax of 35.38% on all personal income up to ƒ50,000 and a gradual addition of 2 percent/per ƒ50,000. Corporations are taxed a 23% revenue tax/per ƒ100,000, and an additional 15% flat tax per property value evaluation. Education TBF… Infrastructure Roads Rail Air Waterways Media Internet Television Military The Royal Vietnamese Military is the Kingdom's defence force consisting of four branches. The Royal Vietnamese Army, the Royal Navy, the Royal Air Force, and the National Guard. Royal Army The National Guard is technically under the jurisdiction of the Royal Army with 396,000 enlisted soldiers. The National Guard is the reserve force of the army, as only one-third of enlisted Army soldiers are active (264,000), giving the Royal Army a total strength of 660,000. The current commanding General is Gen. Ly Long Mai. Royal Navy The Royal Navy is a regional blue-water navy with 42 commissioned ships including two 100,000 Nimitz-class based nuclear carriers. Admiral Nguyen Tri Binh is the current commanding officer of the Royal Navy. Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force operates a fleet of 270 fighter/attack jets capable of carrier takeoffs and landings, as well as helicopter, reconnaissance, trainer, and transport aircraft. Air Marshal Vo Tinh Long is the current commanding officer. Royal Vietnamese Intelligence The Royal Vietnamese Intelligence Agency is South Vietnam's intelligence and information gathering agency. Culture Sport Category:Nations Category:Nations in Asia